Alom Shaha’s brilliant book, The Young Atheist’s Handbook, has just been released in paperback. Earlier on this year, The British Humanist’s Association were responsible for sending this book to every secondary school and library in England and Wales (see here for details). The book has been very well-received, with everyone from Stephen Fry to A. C. Grayling singing its praises. To find out what the fuss is about, read Professor Jim Al-Khalili’s foreword and purchase the book for just £6.49.
FOREWORD
Not that long ago, most non-religious people would have been reluctant to declare their atheism in public or in polite conversation, particularly if they didn’t know the person they were speaking to and didn’t wish to offend. And if they did, they may well have encountered the response that surely they mean they are agnostic, not atheist, for how could anyone be so absolutely certain that there was no God. This was often the charge levelled at scientists; after all, doesn’t science always teach us never be certain about anything?
Gradually, in many countries around the world, declaring one’s atheism is becoming less socially taboo. This is not so much because people are suddenly turning away from religion in their droves, but rather because many, in the secular West in particular, are finding the courage to ‘come out’, declaring that they no longer buy into the religion of their
parents and communities. This new-found freedom to express one’s beliefs, or lack of them, is in large part thanks to the availability of books such as this one. Of course, for hundreds of millions of people around the world, renouncing the religion of one’s birth is easier said than done, and it takes an understanding of these cultures and traditions from the inside to appreciate that one cannot so easily dismiss everything about them.
Just as many theists are content to keep their faith private, so most atheists are not on a proselytising mission to enlighten the ‘poor deluded masses’ that still believe in a supernatural divine power controlling their affairs. For they understand that to try to do so shows a misunderstanding of why people find their religious beliefs so important. It is, as Shaha explains in this book, like trying to talk someone out of being in love using logic.
Instead, I believe this book sets out to achieve two aims, and is brilliantly successful in both. Firstly, and more importantly, it provides a gentle and heart-felt reassurance to those living within devoutly religious communities where dissent or questioning of the faith is taboo, and who have drifted away from a belief in their god, that this is OK; that they needn’t feel a sense of guilt for not subscribing to the religion into which they were born. Many atheists living in the liberal West don’t always understand the interwoven nature of faith, culture and tradition within societies in the Muslim, Jewish or Hindu world, and even in Christian communities in many countries. To renounce God in such societies is to renounce their culture and possibly even to ostracise themselves from loved ones. Therefore, Shaha states that he has written this book to ‘let countless others who keep their lack of faith a secret know that they are not alone’. It is not a call to arms, but simply a reassurance that there is no need for any feelings of shame or betrayal.
The mistake made by some atheists is to assume that anything short of the outright vocal dismissal of religious beliefs and the open declaration of having thrown off the shackles of superstition in favour of rational enlightenment is, at best, evidence of a lack of conviction and, at worst, cowardly pandering to outdated superstitious nonsense. But we must never forget that not all atheists are in the privileged position of living in the cocooning bubble of selfassured liberal, educated rationalism in which they don’t have to worry about riding roughshod over the deeply held convictions of family, friends and community.
The book also serves another vital purpose. It demolishes eloquently and passionately that most insidious of claims by many of religious faith: that without a belief in God and the guidance of a holy book society would dissolve into some sort of hedonistic, anarchic, amoral, self-gratifying decadence. I have long argued that this is not only arrogant
rubbish but groundless intellectual laziness. Shaha demonstrates this argument through many touching examples that highlight what is best about our values and our morality, not as defined by our culture and tradition but because it defines us as members of the human race. The recurring theme is that oft-quoted motto of the growing worldwide humanist movement that we don’t need God to be good.
People will say that religion provides so many good things, like a sense of community, social cohesion, hope, a moral compass, guiding principles in how to lead a good life, grand architecture, pomp, tradition, festivals, charitable causes – the list goes on. But guess what? Everything on that list was achieved not because we have followed ancient teachings or subscribed to the existence of a deity whom we are told we must obey, love and fear, but because we are human. Our species has the capacity for doing great good and great evil.
Sometimes we serve our own selfish needs and desires, and other times we are driven to altruistic acts of kindness and compassion. None of that changes if we stop believing in God.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Jim Al-Khalili, 2014
Buy The Young Atheist’s Handbook.
